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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25062232">Cold As Ice</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morpheus626/pseuds/Morpheus626'>Morpheus626</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Pacific (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 01:26:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,578</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25062232</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morpheus626/pseuds/Morpheus626</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Camping and Sledgefu. A good combo, except when it isn't, for the boys.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Merriell "Snafu" Shelton/Eugene Sledge</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cold As Ice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A quick note re: temperature and the boys in this; per a quick web search the average low in Alabama in November is about 51 F, so for the night this fic takes places (because nights are always a little bit colder at least) we’re dropping it to about 45 F. They’re babies about temperature in my fanon lmao (or maybe I’m just too used to cold, because in my mind 45 is not that cold at all), but for two boys used to Southern summers/weather in general and having been out in the heat of the Pacific, we’re going with the idea that they’re a lil more sensitive to the cold and prefer (non oppressive, like spring) levels of heat if possible. </p>
<p>Is that a weird over-extensive headcanon/fanon thing for a fic that isn't very long? Sure is! </p>
<p>Anyway! This is so sugary sweet by the end you’ll probably send me dentist bills (oh god please don’t I have my own root canal to reschedule and pay for lol).</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It still boggled him, almost as much as it did Snafu, as to why he liked camping out in the yard so much. He’d spent all that time sleeping in foxholes, camping of any kind should be last on his list of things to do. </p>
<p>But there was something about it, that he couldn’t quite put his finger on, that he loved. </p>
<p>Watching Snafu put up the tent (he insisted upon it, if only because Eugene had a tendency to get distracted by the birds in the yard, and ended up watching them rather than assembling said tent), preparing a picnic basket of snacks for the night, maybe it was that he knew they were as safe as they could get with the strong fence Snafu had built surrounding the backyard-there was just <em>something</em>.</p>
<p>“I can get more blankets if we need,” Snafu murmured as they settled into the tent. “Supposed to get cold.” </p>
<p>Truthfully, it was probably too late in the year to be doing this still. Even in Alabama, in November at night, it started to get just cold enough to warrant a few extra blankets and a sweater, or enough common sense to just accept that the time for camp outs was over for the year.</p>
<p>And, he knew from experience, that all could lead to a grumpy Snafu who would likely not sleep a wink in the cold. But Snafu would never say otherwise, wouldn’t break and beg to go inside. And if Eugene asked about it now, then Snafu would feel bad, knowing that Eugene was well aware how much he hated being too cold at night. </p>
<p>But Eugene had ways to make him break, so that neither of them would leave the yard upset. </p>
<p>“I got you,” Eugene said softly, snuggling as close to Snafu as he possibly could. “I don’t need more blankets.” </p>
<p>He gently, quickly, shoved his freezing feet under Snafu’s legs. Even with his socks on, he knew it was evident just how cold they were. </p>
<p>Snafu shivered, but only pulled him close. “Fine by me.”</p>
<p>Not the response he’d been hoping for, especially as he was now realizing the depths of his own mistake. Even for him, it was too cold out, but he wasn’t willing to just…break. It was stupid, but it was a silly sort of competition now. </p>
<p>It was time to pull out the big guns. </p>
<p>He moved a hand underneath Snafu’s shirt, relishing the heat there. “Oh good. Suppose this’ll have to be our last one for the year though, huh? Neither of us was made for the cold.” </p>
<p>Snafu’s stomach shrank away as far as Snafu could manage while Eugene’s still-icy fingertips danced across his skin. “Think you’re right on that. Don’t want you catchin’ your death out here.” </p>
<p>“And you?” Eugene teased, slipping his fingers just beneath the waistband of Snafu’s sweatpants, a warm workout only garment that had slowly migrated to be a part of Snafu’s ‘camping gear.’ “Might catch yours too, if we aren’t careful…” </p>
<p>“Goddamn Eugene,” Snafu hissed, and yanked Eugene’s hand away from him, only to immediately grab his other hand and hold both in his. “Lemme warm you up before you freeze on me.” </p>
<p>He was thwarted, but his hands were warm. </p>
<p>Snafu, however, was visibly shivering. </p>
<p>“I could go inside for a minute, make us coffee,” a last ditch effort, one that only sometimes worked, because usually suggesting it meant they’d give up and just go back inside for the night. </p>
<p>Snafu shook his head. “I’m fine. This is the last camp out of the year, we should make it count.” </p>
<p>That was that. Snafu would be an absolute grump come morning, and they’d both be frozen. In theory, Eugene knew he could just break and admit his mistake, that it was too cold for this, and beg to go inside, but something in him wouldn’t let him do it. His mother would have said the rocks of stubbornness that dragged down his head and made him dense, and she was right, but that didn’t mean he had to acknowledge it. </p>
<p>He let Snafu pull him close, and wrapped them as tight as he could manage in the blanket, limbs messily intertwined but slightly warmer than they were alone. It would be a long night. </p>
<p>About two hours later, Snafu rolled him out of the damn tent. </p>
<p>His vision was blurry as he struggled to wake up, but he could make out (and after a moment, feel) the massive hail pelting them from the dark and churning blanket of clouds above. </p>
<p>“Leave it!” Snafu was somewhere between his usual self and Marine Snafu, his eyes kind but his tone steel. “We can buy a new one, or try and salvage what’s left of it. I am not-motherfucker-staying out here another minute!” </p>
<p>A hailstone thunked Snafu on the ear as if to mark his words, and the blood that trickled down the side of his face as a result was a better alarm clock than any other for Eugene. </p>
<p>They raced inside only to be met with the whining of Ack Ack (holding his favorite tennis ball for comfort yet somehow whining around it) and the worried mews of the cats, who trickled down from their usual storm hiding spots around the house to pool at Eugene and Snafu’s feet. </p>
<p>He was preoccupied only with Snafu; the tent, picnic basket, and blankets abandoned outside. A dishrag to Snafu’s ear and that area of his head revealed a number of cuts from the hailstone, nothing horrible, but all of which bled like no tomorrow. </p>
<p>“This is my fault,” he muttered as he ran the rag under warm water for the third time, trying to clean away the cold rain that trickled down from Snafu’s curls into the cuts, making them both wince. “Hell, I should have just brought us in. I knew it was too cold, and you wouldn’t sleep well out there, but I was bein’ damn stubborn and-” </p>
<p>Snafu snickered. “Knew it. Was wondering if you were gonna break and drag us in. You made it though.” </p>
<p>“Yeah, but for what?” Eugene sighed, and let the rag drop onto the counter. “All I did was make you cold, wet, and hurt.” </p>
<p>“Nah,” Snafu grinned, and kissed him. His lips were absolutely freezing. </p>
<p>“Nah? How is that, exactly? You’re frozen, and wet, and bleeding!” </p>
<p>“True,” Snafu replied. “But I liked being out with you. End of the day, I really couldn’t give a rat’s ass if I’m freezing or sweatin’ to death or sick or hurt, long as I got you with me. Makes it all bearable.” </p>
<p>Eugene smiled, and kissed him softly. “Same to you, sweetheart. But you’re still bleedin’ really badly, I mean-” </p>
<p>“No, I can feel it, it stings, how the fuck can hail fuck you up anyway?” </p>
<p>“Like that, apparently,” Eugene replied, and handed Snafu the cloth. “Keep that on it for now. Go get changed, and I’ll meet you in the bedroom with the first aid kit.” </p>
<p>“Kinky…I like it.” </p>
<p>He could only roll his eyes as Snafu stumbled off, careful of the cats winding around his ankles, leading him to the bedroom. </p>
<p>“What a mess we are, aren’t we?” he asked Ack Ack, who only whined and pushed his ball into Eugene’s hand. “I know. Storm nights mean you and Ball get to spend the night on the bed, if there’s room. If not, there’s always the guest bed, wherever you’re comfy.” </p>
<p>Ack Ack was off like a rocket, snatching the ball carefully back from Eugene and bounding up the stairs. Storms were scary, but worth it for a chance to take over their bed (if the cats hadn’t claimed their spots already, and with that they’d be lucky if there was room for them, let alone the dog.) </p>
<p>But they made it work, the cats piled on and near the bed, Ack Ack at the foot of it with the biggest sort of a smile that a dog could wear on his face, and Snafu snug by Eugene. </p>
<p>“Might get you a nurse’s outfit if you keep this up. You could make the skirt work.” </p>
<p>“Is that so?” Eugene asked as he finished up his ministrations of healing (aka just slapping smaller band-aids on what cuts he could, hoping that the others that were too awkwardly placed would heal okay without being covered.) “Or would you just have me in anything?” </p>
<p>“Anything,” Snafu sighed happily, then winced as he settled his hurt ear against the pillow. “But you’d look extra pretty in that.” </p>
<p>“Keep gettin’ yourself nailed with hailstones, and we’ll see,” Eugene teased. “Please don’t, on second thought.” </p>
<p>“I’ll find a way to get you in that skirt,” Snafu yawned, and wrapped an arm around Eugene just as he tossed the first aid kit to the floor and snuggled down into their pillows. “And out of it. Then you can nail me instead.” </p>
<p>“Tomorrow, maybe. You sleep on those plans,” Eugene murmured, but Snafu was already out, warm and comfy and probably much more tired than he’d been letting on.</p>
<p>And so was Eugene, if he was honest with himself. As fun as the night was supposed to have been, the utter disaster of it was exhausting. Maybe it wasn’t the gem of the last camp out of the year that he’d been hoping for, but at least it was ending on a good, warm, safe note.</p>
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